"Coming to you live from Gainesville, Florida— home of the Florida Gators, one of the best learning institutions and strongest athletic programs in the country— this is Beyond the Lights, a weekly podcast about the overlooked aspects within the college atmosphere. If this is your first time listening, thanks for tuning in. The Beyond the Lights podcast is produced for your enjoyment every Thursday at this time. If you miss the live show, feel free to check us out at BeyondTheLights.com. Now here’s your show host, University of Florida student, Casey Currin.

​

Welcome to “Beyond the Lights" a brand new podcast that takes a deeper look into student life at the University of Florida. My name is Casey Currin, a current freshman. To give some background about myself, I was born and raised in Florida, I have been coming to UF football games for my entire life, and I'm a very proud Florida Gator. Having said this, there are some things that I wish I had gotten more guidance on before I got here. Guidance counselors are great at helping high school students get into their dream schools, but have little expertise on what comes next.

​

The three most important topics to keep in mind while attending the University of Florida are academics, social life, and change. As far as academics goes, this isn't high school anymore. I chose to start summer B, a choice I would highly recommend, thinking that my two class schedule would be a cake walk. It was a harsh reality check when I wasn’t performing as well as I had hoped, simply because I hadn't adopted the right study habits. Managing your time wisely, putting academics before partying, and actually going to class are the best ways to ensure good grades.

 

Now, having brought up partying, I think that the social aspects of college are important to discuss. Gainesville is a college-town, and it comes alive at night. For those who are looking, there are always things to do; however, fun can come at a cost. There are many studies that confirm that students who partake in more partying are correlated to have lower average GPAs. This is not to say that there aren’t healthy ways to be social at UF. In fact, there are hundreds of clubs and organizations, greek life is abundant, and sports and fitness centers are everywhere. 

​

Having seen in 6 short weeks how night life can lead to bad decisions, and even hospitalizations, I am just here to serve a warning against getting caught up in the newness of college.

​

Those who are able to handle the changes that come with college are the most successful. Being able to organize one’s life, balance work and fun, and stay mentally healthy leads to the greatest college success stories. No one is says that the abrupt change is easy. Missing your parents and friends is ok, not knowing how to do laundry is ok. Use your peers and especially your advisors to their full potential. Most importantly, stay on the right track. 

​

Fall semester is just around the corner, and I hope you’ve learned something useful from this podcast. Sorry to end this so soon, but, I’m late to class.

 

Thanks for listening to Beyond the Lights with Casey Currin. If you enjoyed this segment, you can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or Google Play. Don’t forget to join us next time for another episode of Beyond the Lights!"